Health Sciences Bachelor's Degree renamed to Bachelor's in Public Health

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The McDonough County Voice

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Posted Mar. 20, 2013 at 9:35 PM

Posted Mar. 20, 2013 at 9:35 PM

Macomb

The chair of Western Illinois University's Department of Health Sciences recently announced the bachelor of science degree in health sciences was been renamed and now is the bachelor of science degree in public health. According to Mark Kelley, health sciences department chair, in a news release, the change in the name of the degree reflects incremental changes that have occurred in the curriculum over the past 20 years.

"The bachelor of science degree in public health will retain the existing emphases in community health education and environmental and occupational safety," Kelley said. "Current students pursuing the bachelor's degree in health sciences interested in switching to the BSPH degree should talk to Stacy Dorsett, the adviser for the degree, to determine the impact of the change on their individual degree paths. Incoming or transferring students interested in the degree should contact the department through our department email address at HealthSciences@wiu.edu."

Consistent with the Associated Schools of Public Health (ASPH) and the Council on Education for Public Health, the BSPH provides students with foundational knowledge in the five core areas of public health, including behavioral sciences and health education, biostatistics, environmental health, epidemiology, and health services administration and management.

In addition to emphases in community health education and environmental and occupational safety, the department also offers courses in several additional common public health discipline areas, including international and global health, maternal and child health, emergency medical services, public health preparedness and public health policy.

For more information about the change in degree name, contact Kelley at 309-298-1076. Students interested in switching to the BSPH can contact Dorsett at 309-298-1438 or via email at SE-Dorsett@wiu.edu. Learn more about the WIU Department of Health Sciences at wiu.edu/health.